Operations and processes such as those used in dental laboratories, painting, drilling, cutting, and the like produce waste products in the form of particulate contaminated liquid. The particulate contaminated liquid resultant from such processes contains a mixture of particulate matter suspended in the liquid. Proper disposal of particulate contaminated liquids dictates that the particulate contaminates should first be trapped before permitting the liquid permitted to drain away.
To facilitate the proper disposal of such particulate contaminated liquids, trapping and drainage sink systems have been developed. Conventional trapping and drainage sink systems allow particulate contaminants to settle out of the liquid into a catchment area. After the particulate contaminants are settled into the catchment area, the liquid is drained away via an egress not typically accessible by the settled particulate contaminants.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,462 describes a sink liner apparatus, and a method for using the apparatus, for removing plaster from waste water. The apparatus has a catch basin to catch the waste water contaminated with plaster and directs it into a sedimentation basin. The sedimentation basin allows the plaster to precipitate into the sedimentation basin, which can be periodically cleaned or replaced. The waste water overflows through a sedimentation basin draining aperture into a sink basin. The sink basin supports the sedimentation basin and also directs the waste water into a sink draining aperture for separate disposal.
One disadvantage of conventional drainage sink systems, however, is the difficulty and complexity involved in cleaning out the catchment area. The cleaning out of the particulate contaminants in conventional drainage sink systems typically involves accessing inconvenient spaces (such as under benches), undoing and reconnecting pipes and other connections, and/or manually scooping out the particulate contaminants from the catchment area.
A further disadvantage of conventional drainage sink systems is that after the catchment area is full, particulate contaminants are no longer trapped in the catchment area. Consequently, further input of particulate contaminated liquids into conventional drainage sink systems results in the contaminated liquids being allowed to drain away with particulate contaminants still suspended therein.